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How to get better at Chemistry?

Ive had this problem ever since I did Core Chemistry. It's just I hate Chemistry. Every time I take a Chemistry exam I get a D+. I don't know why I have this problem, i'm not sure whether it is the confusing atoms and stuff. But how do I get better?

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You again? Practice. Oh and understanding what your learning. That's quite important.. :wink:
Reply 2
Original post by Adeel Ali
You again? Practice. Oh and understanding what your learning. That's quite important.. :wink:

Yes me again, i'm doing ridiculously bad at Chemistry it's not one of my favourites. I'm better at Physics and Biology.
Have a look at a channel called myGCSEscience on youtube and watch the chemistry videos whilst making notes from them. I hated chemistry throughout year 10 and 11 until I revised for my exams using those videos which I found pretty interesting and easy to understand. I'm now doing Chemistry at A level!
The best way to help is revision...revision...and more revision. Also, ask your teacher to go over topics you're really confused on- sometimes things are a lot clearer when they're doing 1 to 1 teaching. YouTube is awesome for finding videos to take you through concepts and methods- just type in something like "GCSE atom structure" and loads will come up. TylerDeWitte is a really good science channel, I know they do AS stuff but they might do GCSE as well.

There are also some really good revision guides- CGP gives outlines and practive questions on everything in your course. Use past papers as well, because exam technique is really important expecially in questions where you need to explain or show a concept. Hope this helps a little x
Reply 5
Original post by mollyxrose
Have a look at a channel called myGCSEscience on youtube and watch the chemistry videos whilst making notes from them. I hated chemistry throughout year 10 and 11 until I revised for my exams using those videos which I found pretty interesting and easy to understand. I'm now doing Chemistry at A level!

It's not free anymore. All the additional science videos were made private.
Reply 6
Original post by SpottyCandyFloss
The best way to help is revision...revision...and more revision. Also, ask your teacher to go over topics you're really confused on- sometimes things are a lot clearer when they're doing 1 to 1 teaching. YouTube is awesome for finding videos to take you through concepts and methods- just type in something like "GCSE atom structure" and loads will come up. TylerDeWitte is a really good science channel, I know they do AS stuff but they might do GCSE as well.

There are also some really good revision guides- CGP gives outlines and practive questions on everything in your course. Use past papers as well, because exam technique is really important expecially in questions where you need to explain or show a concept. Hope this helps a little x

Cheers.
Original post by Zeetingman
It's not free anymore. All the additional science videos were made private.


How frustrating!! They were such a big help earlier this year. Sorry for the pretty much useless advice :tongue:
Reply 8
Sorry to hear you're having a hard time with chemistry. A lot of my class don't get it either. I think its because there are so many new concepts and if you don't understand one then you're screwed for the rest of the course. If I were you, I'd get a revision guide (CGP I find is best) and just read over it from the start making sure you fully understand each page before moving on. I find its a lot more enjoyable if you understand it and it does get quite enjoyable. Hope this helped somehwat. Good luck!
Reply 9
Original post by gh101
Sorry to hear you're having a hard time with chemistry. A lot of my class don't get it either. I think its because there are so many new concepts and if you don't understand one then you're screwed for the rest of the course. If I were you, I'd get a revision guide (CGP I find is best) and just read over it from the start making sure you fully understand each page before moving on. I find its a lot more enjoyable if you understand it and it does get quite enjoyable. Hope this helped somehwat. Good luck!

Ya thanks!
PAST PAPERS!!! Practice every single one of them. It honestly helps so much.
1 - know your definitions off the back of your hand, these will be 5/10 easy marks in the exam if you know what you're talking about

2 - become fluent with calculations, again easy marks if you know what you're doing

3 - learn how to answer exam questions properly. this may seem a bit of a strange thing to say at first, but you'll soon learn that there is a difference between knowing the content and getting an exam questions right. find out what terminology and vocabulary your exam board want you to use (by looking through mark schemes and examiners reports) and stick to that
Original post by Zeetingman
Ive had this problem ever since I did Core Chemistry. It's just I hate Chemistry. Every time I take a Chemistry exam I get a D+. I don't know why I have this problem, i'm not sure whether it is the confusing atoms and stuff. But how do I get better?


How do you revise?
Original post by Arithmeticae
1 - know your definitions off the back of your hand, these will be 5/10 easy marks in the exam if you know what you're talking about

2 - become fluent with calculations, again easy marks if you know what you're doing

3 - learn how to answer exam questions properly. this may seem a bit of a strange thing to say at first, but you'll soon learn that there is a difference between knowing the content and getting an exam questions right. find out what terminology and vocabulary your exam board want you to use (by looking through mark schemes and examiners reports) and stick to that


^^this is me ahahaha
REVISE and do every past paper twice! do them firstly a couple of months before the exam and a second time a few weeks before the exam!

Also try to memorise the past paper mark scheme answers.. this will help to score full marks in the questions that seem to pop up pretty much every year in a slightly different form or shape!
Original post by Hate_skl
How do you revise?

When I was doing Core, I didn't know how to revise at the time LOL. But now I do Additional I have changed my revision technique drastically. I use flashcards and I used to use something called mygcsescience. I did PastPapers and drew mind maps thats about it.
one way to get better at chemistry is to learn the names of the important elements by heart - up to 20 would do for GCSE. when your seeing different compounds in the class and on the exam it really helps to recognize them.

Also practice doing past papers of your exam board. this will enable you to understand the way in which each question should be structured. for example for AQA, for 6 mark questions you need to put in good English into your answers.
What books do you use to revise? For me CGP is a bible when it comes to exams because it breaks down everything and makes it more simple. If you don't understand something go onto YouTube and there you can find videos which explain things more simple. After you understand read through it at least 3 times and then do some questions. :smile:
Original post by Zeetingman
When I was doing Core, I didn't know how to revise at the time LOL. But now I do Additional I have changed my revision technique drastically. I use flashcards and I used to use something called mygcsescience. I did PastPapers and drew mind maps thats about it.



Yeah that's similar to me, when i started core i winged a lot of it. Now what i do is this -

- use the spec to break down the parts the course(can be found on your exam boards website)
for example b1.3
-i write everything i need to know using the spec
-i find past paper questions specifically to that topic by just writing in google
for example "b1.3 end of unit tests" you'll be surprised with what comes up.
- i also make flashcards for any definitions i need to know
-after i finish the content, i do past paper after past paper using the mark schemes to learn how to answer questions in general because you'll find that it differs through exam boards.

good luck :smile: +make sure to keep these notes for the real exam
Original post by chocolatesauce
What books do you use to revise? For me CGP is a bible when it comes to exams because it breaks down everything and makes it more simple. If you don't understand something go onto YouTube and there you can find videos which explain things more simple. After you understand read through it at least 3 times and then do some questions. :smile:

Ive got CGP.

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